A few thoughts during a few days off

Why on Earth is there so much time between games in the playoffs? Is it me, or has the little amount of air that was in this series been let out? Imagine that the Bucks and Hawks had a real competitive, back and forth series. How frustrating would it be to have to wait two and three days before each game then? I guess I don’t understand how the NBA makes more money this way, but I’m sure they do some how, because money dictates everything obviously. Game four should have been Thursday and game five Saturday. Instead, the Bucks play Saturday and go up against a Brewers game that matters roughly fifty times more to people than the Bucks game. Well done NBA. I’m looking forward to all the jokes about the Bucks inability to fill their arena for a playoff game.

Josh Smith became the latest in a long line of athletes to rip Milwaukee for it’s general lack of things to do.

“Would you go there?” Smith asked. “Everybody knows there ain’t nothing to do in Milwaukee, man. Everybody knows that, (even) the people that live there.”

I’m not going to waste my time being offended that Smith isn’t excited to come to Milwaukee, but this did get me thinking. Not more than a week or so ago, Joakim Noah had similar comments about the city of Cleveland. So it would seem players have the same general perception of Milwaukee that they do of Cleveland. In recent history, this hasn’t stopped free agents and those interested in being traded from being open about wanting to head to Cleveland. Obviously that has something to do with playing with Lebron, but I think it’s more about wanting to win titles. A while back, John Hammond said something to the effect of he didn’t think players valued the city they are playing in as much as they value the chance to win as a factor when choosing teams in free agency. I’m starting to come around on this. I’m now slightly hopeful that Milwaukee will land a mediocre free agent in the off-season following next instead of a bad free agent.

I’m not sold on the process for end of the season award voting. And by not sold I mean I can’t stand it. The big issue I have with letting media members vote is that they simply aren’t able to see enough games. For example, if a television announcer votes, they are basing their vote off seeing one team for 82 games and other teams for no more than four. So they end up going to statistics and making their choices based on numbers. That’s why Scott Brooks wins coach of the year. His team had the largest improvement, therefore he won. Everyone ignores the fact that the Thunder have gobs of talent, more than the Bucks could ever dream of. Why not let scouts vote on these types of awards? Who is watching more teams play, with a better understanding than scouts? Perhaps that would rectify the silly results we often see in coach of the year voting. Judging from recent history (Byron Scott, Sam Mitchell) I wouldn’t be shocked to see Brooks dismissed sooner rather than later. Such is life in the NBA.